Sater
Sater was a robot from the first series of Dutch Robot Wars. It managed to win its heat over NEAT Machine, Pathetica and Sniper to earn a place in the Grand Final, where it was eliminated by Botwork and Bamm Bamm. Design Sater was a yellow, roughly box-shaped robot, equipped with a pneumatic lifting arm (referred to a a 'pneumatic hitchhiker' by the team), powered by a car compressor. Although the arm did not possess great freedom of movement, it could lift up to 125kg. The back end of the robot also featured a steep wedge. Its high-voltage motors, custom-built speed controller and comparatively light weight of 75kg made it one of the fastest robots in Dutch Robot Wars at 15mph; so fast that its 350mm pneumatic tyres were equipped with brakes. Sater's flipper was never used to lift another robot, only activating once in its Heat Final, instead relying on its brute force to win fights. Regardless of the lifter's functionality, Sater had no self-righting mechanism. Sater was based on a Satyr, with illuminating plastic red horns and broom bristles for hair. Sater's statistics board listed its strength as 'onverwoestbaarheid', which translates to 'indestructibility'. This primarily refers to Sater's 25x25mm thick frame, although its outer armour varied between 2-4mm in thickness and was more vulnerable. The Team Team Sater was comprised of two brothers, Jarno and Niels Beekman, and their friend Erwin Voorhuis. Mechanical engineer Jarno Beekman was the team captain and was responsible for the mechanical aspects of Sater, while electrical engineering student Niels managed Sater's electronics. Erwin Voorhuis was the team's RC expert, setting up the control system for Sater. The team wore yellow worksuits, and wore red devil horns in their appearances on the show. Qualification Sater entered the build phase ahead of Dutch Series 1, with the team regularly sending photos to the producers in aid of being selected for the series. Sater was chosen to compete in the series on 11th August 2001. The team intended to enter Dutch Series 2 with an upgraded machine, Sater 2 (styled as Sater II). This version boasted a lower profile, four-wheel drive, and a more powerful full-pressure CO2 flipper, which the team described as a unique 'pinball machine' systemhttps://web.archive.org/web/20020606044511/http://www.sater.nl/sater2build.html. However, Sater 2 ultimately did not appear in the series - it is unknown whether the machine simply was not finished, or if it was rejected from the series. Robot History Dutch Series 1 In its first-round battle, Sater was drawn against one of the only robots in the series to have prior experience in the Robot Wars Arena, NEAT Machine. Sater started the battle with its rear wedge facing forwards, and backed into NEAT Machine, but was pushed backwards, and seemingly lost all mobility. In the process of pushing the motionless Sater backwards, NEAT Machine also stopped moving, leaving both robots inactive within the opening seconds of the bout. However, Sater suddenly regained sluggish movement, reversing backwards, and driving straight under the axe of NEAT Machine which spiked the top of Sater. Although Sater had returned to a standstill under NEAT Machine's axe, and only displayed limited-at-best movement afterwards, the completely immobile NEAT Machine was counted out by Refbot, allowing Sater to win by knockout. In Round 2, Sater faced another robot with an axe, Pathetica. Sater was the quicker robot in the opening stages and approached Pathetica, but just like its previous bout, drove straight in front of the axe to sustain a blow. In retaliation, Sater bumped the back end of Pathetica, and broadsided it, holding it in place. Sater then drove to the front corner of Pathetica, and rotated its opponent slightly, before driving away. Sater crashed back into the front of Pathetica, and skirted around the pit release. Sater was then rammed by Pathetica, but the impact of the collision instead caused Pathetica to break down, causing Sater to happen upon another knockout victory. Sater drove under the side of Pathetica using its lifting arm, but could not use its weapon, and Sater remained in place until Pathetica was counted out by Refbot. Sater progressed to the Heat Final, where it faced Sniper. Sater made the first move, and drove towards the pensive Sniper, but was slightly dented when Sniper turned straight into the side of Sater. While Sniper went to press the pit release button, Sater caught up and rammed the back of Sniper, then made a clean getaway. On its next charge, Sater drove straight at the flipper of Sniper and raised its lifting arm, but did not travel up the opposing wedge, causing Sniper to fire at thin air and jam its flipper open for the next few stages, also offering Sater another opportunity to ram its opponent. Sniper was lingering over the flame pit after closing its flipper, so Sater came in with a ram, but held itself over the fire. Sniper capitalised on this, and circled around Sater to prevent its escape. Having been positioned on the flame pit for a long period, Sater was visibly burning when Refbot freed it from the flame pit, but it still drove towards Sniper for one last attack before 'cease' was called. The battle was sent to a fairly close decision by the Jury, but Sater was awarded the victory, and it progressed to the Grand Final. In the first round of the Grand Final, Sater fought in a melee against Botwork and Bamm Bamm. Sater became immediately involved, approaching Bamm Bamm which missed Sater with its hammer blow, and circled around straight into Botwork on the same drive, charging head-first into the spinning disc, causing one of the decorative red brush-heads to fall off Sater's lid. Sater then drove under Bamm Bamm, but was unable to use its lifter, and Bamm Bamm fired its hammer in the vicinity of Sater. Defensively, Sater pressed the pit release button, and drove back into Bamm Bamm, but was directly hit by the hammer. Sater drove past the pit, drawing dangerously near to it, and then charged straight into a roaming Sir Killalot, which caused Sater's other brush-head to fall off. Rejoining the action, Sater pushed Bamm Bamm backwards, almost into the disc of Botwork, before then driving into the side of Botwork, sustaining a glancing blow from the spinner. Sater remained in place, and this allowed Botwork to target its lifting arm, bending the weaponry with repeated spinner hits - Sater's side armour was also visibly torn up. Time started to elapse on the battle, and Sater was slow in its escape from Botwork, trundling away until 'cease' was called. The battle was sent to a decision by the Jury, but the damage sustained by Sater throughout the battle led to its elimination at this stage. Results |} Wins/Losses *Wins: 3 *Losses: 1 Series Record Sater grin.jpg|Sater's grin Saterunpainted.jpg|An unpainted Sater Saterunpaintedrear.jpg|Rear of the unpainted Sater Saterframe.jpg|Sater's frame Saterpredutch.jpg|Sater prior to Series 1 sater 2 insides.jpg|The insides of Sater 2 NOTE: The team started building Sater 2 for the second series, but it is unknown if the robot was completed in time for applications Outside Robot Wars Sater II made its competition debut at 2003 Dutch Robot Games, and later competed at the FRA World Championship 2004. Trivia *At 75kg, Sater was the lightest robot in the first series of Dutch Robot Wars, and indeed, the lightest robot in either series of Dutch Robot Wars, being 1kg lighter than Bluemax. *Dutch Series 2 competitor The Black Beast bears a striking resemblance to Sater, but no link between the two machines has been confirmed. References External Links *Sater website (archived) Category:Dutch Robots Category:Dutch Series competitors Category:Dutch Grand Finalists Category:Robots with more Wins than Losses Category:Robots with religious or mythological names Category:Robots with Rear-hinged Flippers Category:Robots with cameo appearances in Extreme 1